The invention relates generally to belt conveyors and, more particularly, is directed to a unique curved path delivery conveyor.
On Feb. 20, 1973, the applicant filed an application for U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 333,741 entitled "Baking Oven", now U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,583, in which was disclosed an automatic oven and proofer which incorporated a plurality of baking trays which were directed through the apparatus by means of a continuous conveying system. Following the proofing and baking procedures, the baking trays were carried exteriorly of the oven wherein the trays were individually rotated through 180.degree. for baked product release purposes. It has been found that the baking oven disclosed in Ser. No. 333,741 is highly efficient in operation and functions well to automatically and rapidly bake quantities of individual baked products such as biscuits, cup cakes and the like. In order to assure optimum results and to deliver baked goods in as fresh a condition as possible to the user, it is necessary to package and handle the baked products while still hot and fresh and without allowing any appreciable time for cooling. The freshly baked product is quite fragile and highly susceptible to breakage if permitted to fall through too great a distance. The present invention is designed to receive the freshly baked product from the baking trays in a manner to prevent the baked goods from falling through a distance sufficient to cause breakage as the product is released from the baking trays.